Stramaccioni gives lowdown on transfers, tactics

The first topic discussed in the studio with journalists
Alessandro Bonan and Gianluca Di Marzio was Philippe Coutinho. The
Nerazzurri coach gave his view of the Brazilian: "He's
one of the most talented players we have at Inter. Sometimes we forget he's only 20 years old. I
think the time he spent in Spain [on loan at Espanyol] has helped him
to mature and he's become an important player for us."

It was announced this afternoon that Inter and Andrea Poli had not
been able to reach an agreement to continue their relationship. So what does
Paulinho have that Poli doesn't? "At the moment neither is an Inter
player," Stramaccioni replied. "They're both young
midfielders, one of whom I know well. My admiration for Andrea is
nothing new. But of course there are market trends that depend neither
on Poli nor on the coach. Negotiations didn't go as the two
clubs had hoped, but that's fairly normal when doing transfer dealings."

The topic then switched
to Giampaolo Pazzini, a player whose stock is too high for him to be
considered as mere backup for Milito but who is not involved in the Nerazzurri's new tactical setup: "I think that first and foremost
he's a top-class striker," Stramaccioni explained. "The choice president Moratti was
referring to yesterday is one based on technical and tactical considerations; in that sense
I have no problem admitting that my first choice in attack is Diego
Milito. On the basis of that choice, Inter are free to weigh up their
transfer market options. As I've said before, Inter comes before
anything else. I'm the first person who has to weigh things up, of course."

What about taking that step up from the Primavera
dugout to the first team? Was there any fear there? "There's never been any fear. My main concern
is to repay our amazing fans and of course president
Moratti for their faith in me. Fear is not a word that I like to associate with sport. I don't think there's a secret or a winning formula; what
instils me with confidence is being myself. I just take onto the pitch the things I know how to do and I think that is what prompted the president to make this
choice. There's no secret other than being yourself and saying what
you think.

"No, I don't have a single appearance in Serie A, and that's a
great regret of mine, as I left home with the dream of becoming a
footballer. But, clearly, things were supposed to turn out differently. Looking back, I can't deny that I was sad to leave
Roma but then I got the chance to see Inter and the first team 'from below'. So I was able to
get to know people and places without anyone imagining that I might
one day make it to the first team."

What aspect of
coaching does Stramaccioni focus on most? "Hard work is definitely the
common denominator; trying to make sure you leave nothing to
chance. I also consider myself to be quite observant and I try to create the
best conditions possible for my players to be able to express themselves. That's where a coach has to be smart – in trying to make
the players feel comfortable on the pitch."

Is 4-2-3-1 only possible if there's a player like Zanetti or Obi behind Milito? "My dream is to have
three attack-minded players, but of course a team has to be able to
cope with that and find the right balance. I don't really like talking
about numbers because I believe the most important thing is the idea
the team takes onto the pitch; a team must have a clear identity." Could Lucas be one of those three players? "Lucas?
There's no one in our squad by that name."

What about Stramaccioni's relationship with television and the TV
cameras? "I have my own way of seeing things, I'm obsessed with the way I organise the team, but sport is also about smiles, joy, a joke or two when the time is right, because otherwise it all gets too serious. Maybe
it's because I'm new, but work is work. I don't associate a smile
with a happy moment or a long face with a defeat. All I'm saying is
that at the right time – be it in training or at any other time –
a smile can be a good thing."

Stramaccioni ended by answering a sequence of rapid-fire questions
about Inter's transfer business: "Confident we'll get Lucas? No,
not really. Paulinho? I honestly don't know if he's a real target for
us. Mudingayi? An interesting player. He's considering his position
and that has stemmed our initial interest a little. If Cissokho replaced
Maicon? I think one plays on the right, the other on the left; I
don't see a direct link between the two. Is Debuchy better? Yes, maybe
he is. Is Sneijder staying? For me he is. I know he's staying and I haven't heard anything different. Moratti has said the Russian
interest in Sneijder is a risk? I think if you look at the situation
with Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva you have to say that to a certain extent it's true for
everyone: apart from Cordoba and Zanetti, they are all for sale
[smiling]. Ranocchia? He's played games under me, he's a defender I
want here and I've specifically asked that he should remain at Inter."